Greetings folks,
I’ve just come off a couple straight weekends of outdoor craft shows
and for both shows my biggest complaint has been kids (or perhaps the
problem is really parents who let their kids freely roam, touch,
manipulate, etc.). I’ve got all three Bruce Baker CD’s and I know he
touches on this topic, but his example - having to do with
"electricity & children" not going well together" doesn’t help me
much. Not having ever had children, I’m not very good at handling
them in these situations; and I’m at a total loss at how to deal
with this issue.
My two primary problems over these last two shows (and there have
been others) have been sticky fingers on pearls and an apparently
inviting basket full of colorful knit wire bracelets. I don’t think I
need to explain to anyone who works with pearls that ice cream, sno
cone and chocolate covered fingers should not be picking up and
handling pearls handknotted on silk. And the bracelets just seem to
be a kid-magnet. They’ve all got 16 gauge wire cores gently shaped
into a “C” and closed with handmade clasps… multiple times at both
shows a kid would reach in and grab a bracelet, open the clasp and
stretch the bracelet out straight. The wire is stiff enough to
maintain the “C” shape when the clasp is opened, and I will generally
take the opportunity to show a prospective customer the best and
easiest way to put these bracelets on; but one bracelet was assaulted
in this fashion so many times I finally had to remove it from the
table and will probably have to hammer it back into shape. This
gauge is pretty sturdy, but they’re not meant to be handled in this
manner.
I have tried having candy on hand for these incidences, but once the
wrapper is off (and thrown on the ground in my booth), and the candy
is gone, they’re right back at it. I can’t afford to have a giveaway
any more costly than a couple bags of candy… and many times, parents
won’t allow their kids to take it anyway (though they will allow them
to manhandle my things… go figure).
I cringe at the thought of “anti-kid” signage (I do have kids in my
life who I absolutely adore, but they’re much better behaved than
these examples)… though would be interested in hearing if anyone has
used something like this successfully.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has experienced this dilemma,
though I was unable to find anything in the archives relating to it
(perhaps I wasn’t using the right search terms). I’d love to hear any
useful tips, suggestions or clever devices folks have incorporated
into their show routines to deflect these heart stopping experiences.
There have been many times when a parent of a poorly behaved child
has actually purchased something, so the added issue is paying
attention to the sale opportunity while keeping the kids from
destroying inventory.
I had no idea moving from wholesale to retail would prove to be so
stressful!
Karan